


Firestorm Rising

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Mages and Familiars [15]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, The war is starting, Time for PLOT to happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-17 18:32:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5881237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata and Kageyama have spent months learning to work together to control Hinata's magic. Now that they have finally succeeded, war is knocking on their door.</p><p>Or: Everyone Has to Work Together and No One is Happy About It</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Storms Controlled

Hinata stood in the center of a a warm, crackling fire, the flames dancing around him. Wind teased gently at his hair, then swirled around him. He lifted his arms, and the flames rose. He spun, and they spun with him, the wind twisting around him, encouraging the fire to move faster. He laughed, magic coursing through his veins, power dripping from his fingertips, and brought his hands down, closing his fingers into fists. The wind died away immediately, and the fire vanished, leaving behind a warmth and peace that left him breathless. Feathers brushed his cheek, and he lifted one hand to stroke the soft midnight feathers of the crow perched on his shoulder.

"We did it, Kageyama!" Hinata whispered, beaming. The crow flapped his wings, buffeting the mage's head, then launched himself off his shoulder, changing to his human form as he landed in front of him. Kageyama's blue eyes were shining, and there was a pleased tilt to his lips as he turned to the hybrid mage.

"Well done, you two." Mage and familiar turned to their audience: their Guildmaster and his own familiar.

"Kageyama is the best!" Hinata replied cheerfully. The demon shrugged, still not used to the way Hinata dispensed praise, despite the months that had passed since they had bonded.

"You're the one who decides what to do, dumbass," the familiar grumbled. "I just make it happen." Hinata's happiness wasn't diminished by the insult. He just turned to their audience.

"So can we go out and do jobs outside the town now?" the young mage asked eagerly. "Please?" The Guildmaster glanced at his familiar.

"Your opinion, Suga?" he prompted. Suga shook his head, amused by the mage's insistence on a verbal review after every evaluation the newest members of their Guild had been through since officially joining them after the two bonded.

"Hinata's powers have stabilized since he's been able to use them and reduce his fear of them, and Kageyama's response to his cues have improved in leaps and bounds. But you already know this, Daichi," the gray haired familiar replied, elbowing him playfully. "They're ready. Maybe not for solo expeditions, but I think they could go with on the next out of town job we get." Daichi smiled and kissed Suga's temple.

"Good." Daichi looked like he was going to say something else, but Suga suddenly tilted his head, eyes focusing on the trees on the other side of the clearing they'd been using for the evaluation. Kageyama turned in that direction, too.

"Kageyama. Quiz time," Suga announced. The other familiar closed his eyes.

"Fire mage, really strong," Kageyama reported. "With some sort of nature spirit? I get the feeling I've sensed them before, but I can't place it." Hinata's eyes widened.

"You're sensing a fire mage and a nature spirit? Where? I can't sense them!" the hybrid mage exclaimed, eyes scanning the trees in the direction the familiars were focused in. Kageyama opened his eyes to glare at Hinata.

"You couldn't sense them if they were standing in front of you. It's not surprising you can't sense them when they're at the edge of Sugawara's range," Kageyama grumled. Hinata's mouth curved downward, and he crossed his arms.

"It's Bokuto, isn't it?" Daichi said, drawing their attention back to the actual topic: the mage and nature spirit. "Are they headed this way?"

"Yes to both," Suga replied. "At least, Bokuto's the only fire mage I know of who has a forest spirit as a familiar. I don't know why they would be headed here, though. Last I heard, they were on the other side of the forest, closer to Nekoma than us." Hinata's eyes lit up, and his frown vanished.

"Bokuto? The independent mage Noya was telling me about?" he demanded. Suga nodded, amused. Hinata had become friends with the short familiar almost immediately after joining, frequently joining in on games and challenges between Noya and his best friend, Tanaka, another familiar in their Guild. Kageyama frowned.

 _So that was why they felt familiar,_ he thought. _Hopefully they don't recognize me._

"Let's go meet them," Daichi suggested. "One thing, though. Absolutely no sparring with him, okay?" Hinata and Kageyama blinked at him, the same expression of bewilderment and disappointment on both of their faces. The pair had become very fond of sparring during their training over the last few months, mage and familiar both enjoying testing their combined strength, and had matching mile-long competitive streaks. The few times another mage and familiar pair had visited Karasuno's Guild Hall, the two had eagerly challenged them. "I mean it. You can't beat them." Determination replaced the confused disappointment, and Daichi sighed. Suga stepped forward, smiling slightly.

"If you two took on Bokuto alone, you might have a chance, just because of Hinata's raw power," Suga explained. "But with Akaashi in the mix, you don't stand a chance. No one does, really. Because as soon as Akaashi gets so much as a scratch, Bokuto's power spikes, and he annihilates whoever is responsible for the injury." Hinata blinked a few times, trying to process this. "Which brings us to another thing, actually. Do not, under any circumstances, bump, scratch, or otherwise even slightly injure Akaashi. You will regret it instantly if you do." Hinata and Kageyama were silent for a moment. Then Kageyama spoke.

"As long as I'm here, Hinata's invincible," he said. "But we won't challenge Bokuto and his familiar." Hinata grumbled, but nodded in agreement. Suga relaxed.

"All right. Let's go meet them, then," Daichi announced. Suga led the way, and within half an hour, they spotted the mage and his familiar through the trees.

"Noya was right! His hair is awesome!" Hinata whispered excitedly to Kageyama, who sighed and shook his head.

"Bokuto! Akaashi! It's been a while!" Suga called, picking up his pace until he reached the other two, Daichi on his heels. Hinata and Kageyama followed, but hung back, watching.

"Suga! Daichi!" Bokuto exclaimed, shaking Daichi's hand so enthusiastically that the Guildmaster's whole arm shook. Then he turned to Suga and threw his arms around the familiar. Akaashi's eyes widened, and he moved forward, tapping the mage lightly on the shoulder. Bokuto released Suga and turned to Akaashi, who sighed.

"We've talked about this," the familiar said quietly. Bokuto pouted, and Suga flapped a hand dismissively.

"It's all right, Akaashi. We're used to Bokuto by now," Suga assured him. Kageyama was watching Akaashi, interest sparking in his blue gaze.

"He manages all of that excited energy, and he always makes it look easy," Kageyama murmured, glancing from the pair greeting their Guildmaster and his familiar to his own mage. Hinata didn't notice, apparently still impressed with Bokuto's hair - which was, in Kageyama's opinion, ridiculous.

"Hinata! Kageyama! Come here!" Suga called. The hybrid and his familiar obeyed quickly, joining the other four. "Bokuto, this is Hinata, our newest mage, and his familiar, Kageyama." Bokuto beamed at them.

"Nice to meet you!" the fire mage exclaimed. Akaashi nodded politely, then paused, his gaze fixed on Kageyama, who felt like he was being pinned in place by those dark, thoughtful eyes.

 _There's no way he knows who I am, right?_ Kageyama thought desperately. 

"Have we met before?" Akaashi asked. Kageyama froze.

"Ah...I don't think so," Kageyama replied hastily. Akaashi's searching gaze remained on him for a moment, before Hinata started chattering.

"Noya says you're an awesome fire mage!" Hinata was saying. "I'm part fire mage, too, but I haven't gotten to talk to another fire mage in a while!" Bokuto grinned.

"Maybe I'll have to show you a thing or two while I'm here, then!" he suggested. Suga and Akaashi exchanged weary looks, and Kageyama sighed.

"Before you get too distracted, Bokuto," Akaashi spoke up pointedly. "We have news for Karasuno, remember?" The fire mage's excitement vanished in an instant, and Daichi frowned at the abrupt change in the other mage.

"I take it that this isn't happy news?" the Guildmaster said. Bokuto and Akaashi glanced at each other. Then Akaashi stepped forward.

"Windswept has made an alliance with Moonlit Shadows," the familiar said. "They're going to attack you, and Aoba Josei." Hinata's eyes widened, and Kageyama tensed.

"What's your source?" Daichi questioned.

"A Moonlit Shadows mage we helped escape from them," Bokuto replied grimly. "Ukai and his crows helped, and they sent messengers to Aoba Josei. The mage we helped was headed for Nekoma territory, so they'll probably know soon if they don't already." Daichi grimaced, and Suga took his hand.

"Nekoma can help bridge the gap between us and Aoba Josei. If our enemies are teaming up, we'll have to do the same," Suga said softly. Kageyama paled, and Hinata moved closer to his familiar, worried, but Kageyama wouldn't meet his eyes.

"We'll help you, too, of course," Bokuto added.

"And the crows are on alert," Akaashi told them.

"That's good to hear. Let's head back to the Guild Hall," Daichi said. "You can tell us everything that happened once we're there, and we've gotten everyone together."

"Ennoshita and Tanaka aren't due back until tomorrow," Suga reminded him. Daichi grimaced.

"We'll have to fill them in when they get back, then. But we should have something resembling a plan by the time they get back," the Guildmaster decided, leading the way through the forest, toward town.


	2. Storms Past

"Kageyama." The familiar blinked down at the orange-haired mage in front of him, blocking his path.

"Keep walking, dumbass," Kageyama grumbled. "I don't want to get left behind." He started to step around him, but Hinata grabbed his arm.

"You've been really quiet ever since Bokuto told Daichi about the attacks that might be coming," Hinata said. "And you got really tense when he mentioned that other Guild that's being targeted." Kageyama scowled, which usually made Hinata at least think twice before continuing to press the familiar, but this time the hybrid mage wasn't backing down. "Talk to me, Kageyama."

"There's nothing to say," he snapped. Hinata frowned.

"There is," he insisted. "Besides that Aoba Guild or whatever, you've met Akaashi before. You're hiding things from me." Hinata's lower lip was beginning to stick out in a pout, and Kageyama sighed, knowing from experience that the pouting never ended with the familiar getting his way.

"I'll tell you, okay? But we have to keep walking," Kageyama agreed reluctantly. The pout vanished, and Hinata's grip shifted from his arm to his hand as the two started walking again. "I used to be someone else's familiar," he began. Hinata's eyes widened, and he almost stopped walking again, but Kageyama tugged on their joined hands to keep him moving. "This was several years ago. I lived closer to a different village back then, and the closest Guild was Aoba Josei. Their Guildmaster is an amazing enchanter, and he was looking for a familiar. He'd been bonded to several, but they never lasted more than a year or two. No one really knew why, so I thought it must be because they weren't good enough to keep up with him. Turns out it was because Oikawa is good at using people, but not good at interacting with them." Hinata made an incredulous noise.

"You're one to talk," Hinata muttered. "You're always grumpy." Kageyama glared at him.

"Shut up and listen, or I won't finish telling you," he grumbled. "Oikawa finds your weaknesses, no matter how hard you try to keep them hidden. He's obnoxious, and smug, and childish." Kageyama shuddered. "But I was too stubborn to ask him to sever the bond. I wasn't going to give up, no matter how annoying the mage I was bonded to was. I wanted to learn how he manipulated magic the way he did." Hinata was silent, watching his familiar. "I don't know really why he severed our bond. I didn't know what to feel. I wouldn't be able to learn from him anymore, but I wouldn't have to put up with his taunts and childish stunts either. In the end, I realized two important things. One, I failed. I don't know how or why, but I did. I must have failed, or he wouldn't have severed the bond, right?" Kageyama sighed and glanced at Hinata. "Oh, don't look at me like that. The other thing I realized is that whatever I did, Oikawa abandoned me. He gave up and severed the bond."

"So that's why you got upset way back when we bonded," Hinata realized. "When I offered to sever the bond because I didn't think you really wanted it." Kageyama rolled his eyes and grumbled incoherently. For a few minutes, they walked quietly side by side. "We might have to help Aoba Josei," Hinata said finally. "And that means you might see Oikawa again." Kageyama nodded, unsure where Hinata was going with this. "If we do see him, you can just stay in crow form and ride on my shoulder. Then I can feel like the tall one for once!" the hybrid mage exclaimed. Kageyama blinked down at him, then shook his head.

"Dumbass. They'd think we might attack. You know animal forms are usually used for battle." Hinata grinned, and Kageyama wondered if the short mage realized that his familiar actually appreciated the suggestion.

"So how do you know Akaashi?" Hinata asked, changing the subject.

"Bokuto and Akaashi visited Aoba Josei while I was Oikawa's familair. They've been an independent pair for as long as they've been a pair. I don't know if Bokuto has ever been in a Guild," Kageyama replied. "I saw them spar with some of the older mages. I think we could take them on." Hinata's eyes lit up. "But we promised Suga we wouldn't, so don't even think about it." Hinata huffed in disappointment. "Don't worry, if this war Bokuto thinks is coming actually happens, we'll have plenty of chances to show off your power."

"Hinata! Kageyama! Hurry up!" Suga's voice called.

"Told you we'd fall behind," Kageyama grumbled. Hinata grinned and let go of his familiar's hand.

"Race you!" he challenged. Kageyama didn't reply verbally; he just took off, sprinting through the trees to catch up to the others. Hinata squeaked. "Not fair!" he shouted, bolting after his familiar.


	3. Storms Gathering

"Welcome back!" Noya exclaimed when he heard the Guild Hall door open, not looking up. "How did the evaluation go?"

"We passed! And we brought a visitor!" Hinata exclaimed. Noya blinked and looked up from his task - which appeared to be helping Asahi get his hair to cooperate - and blinked. Daichi and Suga walked past, but Bokuto and Akaashi paused at the door. Bokuto spotted Noya and grinned. The short familiar grinned back and abandoned the water mage in favor of jumping over the back of the couch he'd been sitting on to bounce over to Bokuto.

"It's the little guy!" Bokuto exclaimed, beaming. "Think you can get your mage to spar this time?"

"No!" a chorus of voices shouted. Suga's was loudest, but Daichi and Asahi joined him in cutting that idea off at the start.

"Where are Kinoshita and Narita?" Daichi asked quickly, redirecting Noya's energy.

"They're out back. Want me to get them?" Noya offered. When Daichi nodded, the short familiar darted off, and the Guildmaster sighed.

"It's going to be a long afternoon," he muttered.

After Bokuto had told them everything he knew, the Karasuno mages and familiars reached an agreement. They would team up with Aoba Josei, and possibly Nekoma as well, if the attacks from Moonlit Shadows and Windswept did come, and Bokuto announced that he and Akaashi would help, too. However, Daichi decided they should think things over until the next day, when Ennoshita and Tanaka were due to return. Kageyama was silent through the whole thing.

\

The next morning, Hinata woke early and left his room, footsteps as quiet as he could make them, a sleepy Kageyama on his shoulder in crow form perched on his shoulder. Normally, the familiar was all right with mornings, but he hadn't slept well the night before, since he was dreading meeting the Aoba Josei mages again, especially their Guildmaster. As they passed Asahi and Noya's room, they heard the familiar's voice complaining about Asahi sleeping in. Hinata smiled; Noya's enthusiasm for mornings and Asahi's enthusiasm for not getting out of bed were well known by all of the Guild members.

"What time do you think Ennoshita and Tanaka will be back?" Hinata murmured as he made his way to the kitchen. Kageyama half-spread the wing closest to Hinata's head, buffeting the mage's cheek with his feathers. "Yeah, yeah, I know. How would you know, right?" The familiar folded his wing again, apparently satisfied that Hinata had understood. "Are you hungry? I think there's some leftovers..." Hinata's voice trailed off as he stopped in the kitchen doorway. Bokuto was apparently awake already, and was sitting at the table, with what looked like most of the food from the coldbox Daichi had enchanted to store food. "Or not." Bokuto looked up, his mouth full of food. The fire mage waved, and Hinata shook his head. "I guess I'll cook something, then." Kageyama, suddenly fully awake, hopped off of Hinata's shoulder and returned to human form.

"Absolutely not. Your cooking is almost as bad as your magic control," the familiar snapped.

"You can't cook, either!" Hinata replied.

"I have strict instructions from Suga not to let either of you cook, so I'll do it." Hinata and Kageyama both turned to face Akaashi, who had walked up behind them. "It is my mage who's apparently eating your Guild out of house and home," the forest spirit added, walking between them and into the kitchen. The hybrid mage and his familiar exchanged surprised expressions. Bokuto made a sound of protest, but it was muffled by the food still in his mouth. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Bokuto." The fire mage swallowed, nearly choking in his haste.

"No fair! If I'd known you were going to make breakfast, I would've waited!" he complained. Akaashi just eyed him calmly.

"If you hadn't taken all of Karasuno's food, I wouldn't have to cook at all," the familiar replied evenly. "Hinata, Kageyama, Suga said to tell you that if you're going to be awake so early, you should practice while you wait for the food to be ready." Hinata grinned and turned to Kageyama.

"You awake enough to practice?" Hinata asked.

"If I'm awake enough to stop you from burning down the Guild Hall with your poor cooking skills, I'm awake enough to stop you from burning it down with your poor control," Kageyama replied. Hinata huffed indignantly at that, then suddenly bolted out of the nearby back door. Kageyama growled something about unfair head starts, then ran after him. There was a moment of quiet as Akaashi and Bokuto both stared after them.

"I wonder if they always have that much energy," Akaashi murmured. Bokuto shrugged and went back to eating.

Hinata reached the center of the open space behind the Guild Hall and skidded to a stop. Kageyama almost ran into him, but shifted to crow form flew past him instead, then circled around and came back to land on Hinata's shoulder.

"I won," Hinata informed his familiar cheerfully. Kageyama tightened his grip on the mage's shoulder, and Hinata squeaked as the crow's talons dug into his shoulder, but not hard enough to puncture his shirt or skin. "Don't be a sore loser," the mage grumbled, reaching up to poke the bird teasingly. Kageyama's beak snapped at the approaching finger, and Hinata pulled it back before it reached his feathers. "All right, all right. Let's get started," he said, reaching for his power. As the flames flickered into existence, the air around them heating and stirring, Kageyama kept the level of magic low, since they were just warming up.

A pillar of fire erupted from the other side of the Guild Hall.

"That wasn't us, was it?" Hinata asked. Kageyama launched himself from Hinata's shoulder, wings flapping furiously as he flew above the Guild Hall to look at what was happening out front. A moment later, he came diving toward the hybrid mage, another bird hot on his tail. Hinata didn't recognize the bird, but he knew that if it was chasing Kageyama, it wasn't friendly, so he reached for more magic, and the wind lashed out. As the surge of power reached Kageyama, it twisted, becoming a weapon instead of directionless energy, sharp and precise. The bird chasing Kageyama shrieked and fell out of the sky. Kageyama shifted to human form as he landed beside Hinata.

"There are strange mages at the front," Kageyama said shortly. "And they're trying to get inside. I think that fireproofing Daichi and Asahi are trying out is what's keeping them out." Another pillar of fire appeared, and Kageyama grimaced, probably at the waste of magic, if Hinata was interpreting that particular grimace correctly. "Let's get inside before someone notices that familiar is gone," he added, nodding to the bird that had been chasing him, which was now laying on the ground, a wound stretching across its side under one wing. Hinata bit his lip, but Kageyama grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the Guild Hall. "It attacked first," he pointed out. Hinata nodded reluctantly as they reached the door and went inside, Kageyama closing and locking it behind them.

Akaashi and Bokuto were no longer in the kitchen, so the pair headed for the common area, where they found the rest of their Guild and their welcome visitors, although it seemed that Ennoshita and Tanaka still weren't back.

"Looks like Bokuto was right, and Moonlit Shadows is planning to get rid of us so Windswept doesn't have to bother," Daichi announced grimly as they joined their fellow Guild members.

"There are quite a few of them," Suga announced. "Fifteen here, and several more outside of town. And I can sense Ennoshita and Tanaka near where the ones outside of town are."

"We have to help them!" Noya exclaimed, worry for the pair showing in his eyes and the anxious bounce in his step as he paced in circled around Asahi.

"We will. But we need to clear a path first," Daichi replied. "The mages outside probably won't let anyone through if we just ask nicely."

"Let me at them," Bokuto growled. "I'll burn them all to ash."

"Even you can't take on fifteen mages and their familiars by yourself," Akaashi replied. "Not without getting seriously hurt."

"But Bokuto and Hinata could clear a path," Suga pointed out. Daichi nodded.

"Then Asahi and Noya can get through and go to help Ennoshita and Tanaka while the rest of us clean up the mess here," the Guildmaster agreed. "We'll go out front, with Hinata and Bokuto in the lead. Kinoshita, Narita, I want you to hang back. Make sure no one gets past us and into the Guild Hall. Asahi, as soon as you see a chance, take it. Go and bring Ennoshita and Tanaka home."

"What about you?" Asahi asked, his face pale. Despite his power, the water mage wasn't fond of fighting, even sparring. At first, Hinata had thought maybe he didn't have very strong magic. But after the first time he saw Asahi and Noya sparring with Ennoshita and Tanaka, the hybrid mage had changed his mind. Daichi grinned.

"Suga and I will fight the way we fight best. In the middle of everything," the enchanter replied. "Just try not to burn us, okay?" he added, glancing at Bokuto, Hinata, and their familiars, who all nodded. "All right. Let's go."


	4. Storms Striking

The Guild Hall doors opened, and Hinata and Bokuto stepped outside, facing the mages spread out in front of the building. Akaashi stood behind Bokuto, while Kageyama was in crow form, perched on Hinata's shoulder.

"Show me what you've got, shorty," Bokuto said with a grin. Hinata grinned back, and flames erupted around him.

"As long as I have Kageyama, I can take on anyone," the hybrid mage replied, lifting his arms. The flames swirled and rose, and several of the enemy mages took a step back. Then one of them seemed to get tired of waiting, and a column of water shot toward them. Hinata brought his hands close to his body, then thrust one out, palm toward the enemy. The flames around him followed the motion, bunching close, burning hotter, then rushing forward to meet the column of water, turning it to steam. Hinata made a sweeping motion with his other hand, and the wind surged, shoving the enemy mages off balance. As soon as the wind died down, several enemy mages recovered enough to launch magical attacks of their own. A combination of lighting and fire shot toward them. Hinata brought his hands up, but Bokuto stepped forward, and Hinata paused, waiting to see what the older mage would do.

A wall of flames roared into existence, absorbing the enemy magic, then condensed to a column and tipped forward. Mages scattered as the column of fire fell. The flames flared, then died down, and as the enemy mages got to their feet, having fallen in their rush to dodge, Asahi and Nishinoya left the Guild Hall and ran down the cleared path. A few of the mages who'd been farther from the falling column tried to stop them, and several familiars in various animal forms tried to pursue, but a defiant shriek made everyone pause. A gray hawk dove from the sky, twisting at the last instant to slam its talons into the side of a canine familiar's head, sending it sprawling. The hawk used the impact to shoot skyward once more, then flip and dive again, this time coming down on top of a mage. Right before impact, the hawk's form blurred, and Sugawara slammed shoulder-first into the mage he'd targeted, said mage's magic - lightning or fire, from the sparks around him - vanished at the contact. The surrounding mages and familiars were staring at Suga, and didn't notice Bokuto light up again, flames shooting from his feet.

"They're ignoring us," Bokuto complained.

"Not for long," Hinata replied, holding his arm up. "Kageyama, let's try that new thing." Daichi, who had been standing beside Hinata and Bokuto, tensed.

"I don't think that's a-"

"We can do it," Hinata interrupted as Kageyama hopped from his shoulder to his arm. "Suga isn't the only familiar who can fight!" Flames erupted around Hinata's arm, seeming to cling to Kageyama's feathers without burning them. Hinatamade a slashing motion with his arm, launching the crow from his perch. Kageyama flew, wings trailing flames as he swept toward the cluster of mages and familiars now surrounding Suga.

"Cool. Can we try that, Akaashi?" Bokuto asked. Akaashi gave the fire mage a flat glare.

"They're doing that because the crow is the one controlling the fire anyway," Akaashi replied. "And he's probably flown with the extra heat under his wings before. So no, we can't try that. Just focus on defeating those three right there," the nature spirit advised, pointing to a trio of mages standing too close to each other. Bokuto grinned and sent a wave of fire at them, which they didn't notice until it was too late, because they were focused on the _flaming crow_ that was swooping at the enemy familiars, lighting their fur on fire. Bokuto's attack hit the trio. Screams rose, and Daichi turned to Kinoshita and Narita, who were behind the mages at the door, guarding the entrance.

"Let's not kill them," Daichi sighed. "We don't want to provoke more attacks." Kinoshita stepped forward, and the dirt around the now-on-fire mages and familiars stirred, then rose and covered them, smothering the flames and pinning the enemies down at the same time. Meanwhile, Suga had returned to hawk form and flown out of reach and was circling overhead, looking for his next target, and Kageyama was turning to come back through the enemy ranks, flames still trailing from his wings.

"Kageyama!" Hinata shouted suddenly, wind and flame shooting from his hands in an uncontrolled rush. For a second, none of the hybrid mage's allies knew why he was yelling and shooting raw magical power. Then they saw the huge tiger familiar, wrapped in protective mist from one of the enemy water mages, as it leaped, claws reaching for Kageyama. Suga spotted the attack, too, and dove, but the tiger struck first, its huge paw swatting Kageyama out of the sky. Suga shifted to human form and body-slammed the tiger a moment later, but the damage was done. Kageyama reeled, the flames on his wings vanishing. He shifted back to human form, landing awkwardly on one knee, and found himself facing two mages, one with lightning crackling around his hand as he reached for the familiar, and the other with icicles forming around him, preparing to shoot them at Kageyama. Out of the corner of his eye, the demon noticed harsh light and movement, and threw himself backwards, landing on his back and staring at the roaring inferno that engulfed the two mages. Kageyama's eyes widened, and then Hinata was between him and the enemy mages, arms flung out as he struggled, trying to grip the flames and control them.

"Hinata! Enough!" Daichi roared over the sound of the flames. Hinata turned his face toward the Guildmaster, and Kageyama caught a glimpse of the hybrid mage's expression: pure panic. Kageyama got to his feet.

"Kageyama," Hinata whispered, so quietly that only his familiar would be able to hear him over the roar of the flames. "Tobio, help me." The familiar lurched forward, his body sore from being smacked out of the sky and then hitting the ground, and his chest hit Hinata's back, his arms wrapping around the small mage's body instinctively as he lost his balance. They fell together, Kageyama just barely managing to twist them so Hinata landed on him instead of the other way around, the fire fading instantly. A moment later, more flames shot overhead - Bokuto's, this time, wild but definitely under control.

"Dumbass," Kageyama muttered, glaring up at the mage. "You're not supposed to do that without me." Hinata rolled off him and sat up, gaze searching his familiar for wounds.

"Well, you're not supposed to let anyone catch you!" Hinata countered.

"Both of you, get out of the way!" Daichi ordered. The pair blinked; they hadn't noticed their Guildmaster's approach, but now he was standing over them, magic pouring from his hands, though Kageyama couldn't see where it was going or what it might be doing. "Get back to Kinoshita and Narita and recover. We'll finish mopping up." Hinata looked like he was about to protest, but he stopped and glanced at Kageyama, then nodded to Daichi.

"Come on," Hinata said grimly, getting to his feet and holding his hand out to Kageyama, who let the mage pull him to his own feet. Now that he was standing, Kageyama saw where Daichi's magic was going. He seemed to be channeling in into Suga's body, strengthening it so he wouldn't take as much damage as he fought the last few mages and familiars who weren't wrapped up in Kinoshita's earth. One got behind the familiar, only for Bokuto's flames to knock him to the ground, where he rolled, trying to put out the flames, until the ground shifted and wrapped around him, too, putting out the fire and pinning him in place.

By the time Hinata and Kageyama reached Kinoshita's position near the Guild Hall, the battle was over. Narita made his way among the trapped enemies, apparently checking to make sure none of them were suffocating or burned to death. Suga was in human form again, and he was swaying on his feet. Daichi hurried over to him and started to wrap an arm around him to steady him, then apparently decided on a different tactic, and scooped his familiar up, carrying him princess style to where the others were waiting. Not to be outdone, Bokuto turned to Akaashi as though to imitate Daichi, and the black haired familiar sighed, smiling slightly as he let the fire mage pick him up.

"What are we going to do with them?" Kinoshita asked, eyeing the mounds of earth littering the ground in front of the Guild Hall, each with its own mage or familiar trapped inside.

"Maybe they'll leave quietly now that they're beaten," Daichi suggested.

"If not, I'll just burn them more," Bokuto added, grinning. Akaashi shook his head at him.

"We can't leave them for very long," he said. "They're all at least slightly injured."

"We can always drop them off at Windswept," Suga spoke up. "Let their allies deal with their injuries."

"Good idea. We can-" Daichi broke off and turned to face the direction Nishinoya and Asahi had run off in earlier. Four figures the Guildmaster recognized were running down the street toward the Guild hall: Asahi, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, and Tanaka. Behind them was a group of people that, with their current luck, was probably more enemy mages and familiars. "Looks like we have more company to deal with first," the enchanter said grimly. "Suga?"

"I'm fine, Daichi," the familiar replied. "I'll be exhausted later, but if you can give me an energy boost, I can take a few more down."

"We're ready, too," Hinata added. Kageyama clenched his jaw and nodded sharply.

"We won't get to do anything," Bokuto said, sounding rather dejected. Daichi glanced at him curiously.

"Why's that?" Bokuto didn't answer, just nodded toward the oncoming enemies and the Karasuno Guild members they were pursuing. One of them was gaining on Noya, whose shorter legs were having a hard time keeping up over long distances. Just as the enemy lunged for the short familiar, changing to the form of a wolf in the process, a dark shape appeared behind the enemies, leaping clear over them and landing squarely on top of the wolf that had been about to pounce on Nishinoya. The shape - it looked like a lion, but it was huge, large enough that there appeared to be someone on its back, and it was completely wreathed in shadows that lashed out, cutting down enemies even as the shape lunged into their midst, huge paws and sharp fangs flashing. Before the mages by the Guild Hall could even really process the new arrival, Asahi and the others reached them and looked back, expecting to see their pursuers gaining on them. Instead, they saw the shadows vanish, and the man on the lion's back slid off. The lion - bright gold, with a black stripe along its spine - shrunk, and the man crouched to scoop up a house cat with the same coloring.

"Because Kuroo got all the fun," Bokuto said, finally giving Daichi's question a verbal response.


	5. Storms Circling

Kuroo grinned as he approached Bokuto and the Karasuno mages, his feline familiar cradled in his arms.

"Didn't think I'd get to crash this big of a party this soon," he said with a grin. Bokuto stepped forward, and the familiar in Kuroo's arms jumped down, changing into human form as he did. Akaashi hurried to his side and steadied him.

"Man, you always steal the best part!" Bokuto complained, holding out his fist, which Kuroo tapped with one of his own.

"It's because I'm a Guildmaster and you're independent," Kuroo replied.

"Before you two get too involved in whatever rivalry you have, can we deal with the more important issues?" Daichi interrupted.

"Guildmaster!" Kuroo exclaimed. "Always so serious! We should- never mind," he muttered, glancing at his familiar, who was staring at him warningly. "Serious, important things it is, then. But first..." He turned toward enemy mages and familiars who lay trapped and defeated around them. "I think they're plenty beaten, and they'll want to scamper home and tell big old Ushijima that Karasuno has allies."

"Let's find out. Kinoshita?" Daichi said. The earth mage nodded, and the dirt confining their enemies settled, releasing them. The mages and familiars got to their feet. A few turned toward the Guild Hall, considering another attack, but stopped when they saw Bokuto and Hinata, side by side, glaring at them. Akaashi sighed and shook his head, while Kageyama stepped up to Hinata's side and added his own menacing glare. The enemies fled, passing a pair of inconspicuous cloaked figures on their way out. The newcomers approached the Guild Hall.

"Moonlit Shadows underestimated you," Kuroo said. "That won't happen again. But we do have something they don't know about."

"Something they don't know about?" Daichi repeated, frowning.

"If my people are doing their jobs right - and they always do - Moonlit Shadows thinks that their lost little light mage isn't telling anyone anything about why he left them," the Nekoma Guildmaster explained, gesturing to the pair of cloaked newcomers, who removed their hoods.

"We're not here to help you," Tsukishima grumbled. "We're just passing through."

"This is Tsukishima Kei and his familiar, Yamaguchi," Kuroo announced. "They're the reason Bokuto come to warn you." For a moment, the Karasuno members just studied the newcomers. Then Daichi held out a hand to Tsukishima, who shook it hesitantly, eyes narrowed almost suspiciously.

"Thank you. From your comment earlier, I'm sure you didn't pass on a warning to help us, but you ended up doing it anyway. If you need anything, we'll do what we can for you," the Guildmaster said solemnly. "For now, why don't we go inside?"

"Yeah. I want to know why we got jumped on our way home!" shouted Tanaka, Ennoshita's familiar, who had a cut on his upper arm and a bruise on his forehead.

"Hinata, Kageyama, fill them in, okay?" Daichi said.

"I'll check in with Aoba Josei, see if they've had as exciting of a day as you have," Kuroo added. When he received several confused looks, he reached into his shirt and fished out a small pendant. "I can use this to get Iwaizumi's attention. If he's not busy, he'll drop by," he explained.

"All right. If anyone's hurt, make sure you get patched up, then come to the meeting room upstairs," Daichi decided. "And, Guildmaster Kuroo, if Iwaizumi answers, I'd appreciate if you would bring him with. We'll discuss our next move once everyone's there. Tsukishima, if you and Yamaguchi need anything, just ask." The light mage nodded, and everyone else dispersed. Hinata dragged Kageyama toward a small room just off the common area, where the medical supplies were, and Ennoshita and Tanaka followed.

"Ah! Wait!" The four of them paused, looking back at the nervous-looking familiar who had piped up.

"You're Yamaguchi, right?" Ennoshita asked. The freckled familiar nodded.

"I'm a healer. Tsukki and I didn't fight at all, so I can heal you guys," he offered. The Karasuno members exchanged glances.

"You don't have to do that," Ennoshita said. "Tanaka just has a few light injuries, and I only have a few bruises."

"And a burn," Tanaka added, his done dark as he glanced at the reddened skin on the back of his mage's hand.

"I'm not really injured," Kageyama said. "I just got pushed around a little." Yamaguchi hesitated.

"Still. I want to help," he insisted. "Bokuto and the crows saved us, and Nekoma's Guildmaster let us come with him so we wouldn't have to risk travelling alone."

"And you and your mage warned us that an attack like this might happen," Hinata replied, then turned to Ennoshita. "If he really wants to help, we should let him."

"His mage might get mad," Kageyama pointed out.

"It's his choice," Tanaka replied, resting a hand on Yamaguchi's shoulder. "If you want to heal someone, start with Chikara's burn."

"It's really not that bad," Ennoshita protested. "Your wounds should be taken care of first." Yamaguchi looked away, not really listening to their argument, lost in thought. "All right, fine, if I get this burn healed, will you get your wounds looked at next?" Ennoshita gave in finally. Tanaka seemed satisfied with this, so Ennoshita held his hand out to Yamaguchi, who jumped, but carefully took the hand and closed his eyes, focusing on healing the burn there.

"Why do you say it like that?" Yamaguchi whispered, still mostly focused on the healing. Ennoshita and Tanaka paused, and Hinata tilted his head curiously.

"What do you mean?" Kageyama asked.

"You keep calling Tsukki my mage," Yamaguchi said hesitantly. "Usually, I'm just called his familiar. But I people don't call Tsukki my mage." Hinata blinked.

"The bond goes both ways, right? Like, Kageyama is my familiar, but I'm his mage, too. I wouldn't be able to do anything but light things on fire without meaning to without him," the hybrid mage told him.

"Being a familiar isn't about just meekly doing what you're told!" Tanaka exclaimed. "Because sometimes mages to dumb things like try to avoid treatment for injuries!"

"Like you're one to talk," Ennoshita grumbled. Yamaguchi finished healing the burn and turned to Tanaka, placing his hands gently on the other familiar's shoulders. Yamaguchi's eyes widened as his magic told him what injuries his patient had. "But Hinata's right. The familiar bond goes both ways. You're supposed to protect Tsukishima, but that means guiding him and protecting him from himself sometimes, too. And it's his job to listen to you and keep you safe in return." Yamaguchi nodded thoughtfully, then focused on what his magic was telling him about the state of Tanaka's wounds.

"You're covered in bruises and cuts!" Yamaguchi blurted out. Tanaka frowned, then cringed when Ennoshita scowled at him.

"I knew it," the mage growled. "You always jump in over your head, especially if Noya's there." Yamaguchi shook his head and focused on healing as many of Tanaka's injuries as he could.

"Yamaguchi?" The freckled familiar jumped, his hands falling from Tanaka's shoulders as he turned to look up at Tsukishima. "You're going to wear yourself out."

"I'm fine, Tsukki," he assured him. Tsukishima didn't look like he believed him, but didn't say so.

"That war god is on his way. Let's head out," the light mage said instead. There was a moment of silence as Yamaguchi hesitated, then seemed to gather his courage.

"I think we should stay, at least for a little bit," the familiar said. "I can heal them, and it might not be safe to leave on our own." He held his breath, waiting. Finally, Tsukishima nodded.

"All right. Once you finish up, let's go to the meeting, then," the light mage decided. Yamaguchi grinned.

"Now that that's settled, someone tell us what's going on," Ennoshita requested.


	6. Storms Moving

When Tsukishima walked into the meeting room, having followed the Karasuno members after Yamaguchi finished healing them, he almost turned right around and walked back out. He hadn't expected Iwaizumi to be there already, but there he was, leaning against the wall at the far side of the room, arms crossed over his chest. Tsukishima found himself glaring at the war god, until Yamaguchi leaned against the light mage's shoulder.

"You overdid it," Tsukishima murmured, pulling a chair out from the long table in the middle of the room and guiding his familiar to sit. Only after he took the seat beside Yamaguchi did Tsukishima notice who was sitting in the chair closest to where Iwaizumi was leaning against the wall. Was that...?

"Since everyone's here now, let's get started," Daichi began. "For those of you who just came in, this is Oikawa Tooru, Guildmaster of Aoba Josei, and his familiar, Iwaizumi." Tsukishima's eyes narrowed, and he almost made some sort of displeased noise, but Kageyama beat him too it, grumbling under his breath as he and Hinata sat across from Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

"How did you get here?" Tanaka asked bluntly. Oikawa grinned.

"Iwa-chan brought me," he answered cheerfully. Tsukishima felt his eye twitch. This man had a literal god as his familiar, and he called said god by a cutesy nickname? Unbelievable. Tsukishima thought he might understand his own former Guildmaster, Ushijima, and his desire to destroy Aoba Josei a little more.

"Apparently, Iwaizumi has learned how to bring Oikawa with him when he answers calls like the one from the charm I have," Kuroo explained.

"If we could focus," Daichi said loudly. Everyone quieted. "Moonlit Shadows and Windswept made their move. Now they have a few options."

"They could attack us here, with more mages next time," Suga put in. "Or they could attack Aoba Josei's Guild Hall."

"Since they saw me, they could target my Guild, too," Kuroo added.

"What about the crows? They helped us when we encountered Tsukishima and Yamaguchi for the first time," Akaashi pointed out.

"So basically, we're too spread out," Daichi summarized. "And we don't know what our enemies will do next."

"We do," Yamaguchi spoke up, his voice surprisingly steady, despite the way his hands shook as he glanced at Tsukishima. The blond mage sighed.

"They'll probably get reinforcements from the Moonlit Shadows Guild Hall, then strike here again," Tsukishima announced.

"They need to get rid of Karasuno, or Windswept won't have any incentive to actually help them against Aoba Josei," Kuroo realized.

"Which means we have a few options of our own," Iwaizumi spoke up, pushing away from the wall and moving closer to the table. "If Moonlit Shadows wipes out Karasuno here, they'll take down Bokuto and Guildmaster Kuroo as well, assuming they stay here." The two mages nodded, and Iwaizumi continued, "That would leave Aoba Josei to face the remainder of Moonlit Shadows, plus all of Windswept, alone."

"Which would be really unfortunate," Oikawa added. "We'd take heavy losses, even if we could beat them on our own." Surprise flickered through the other mages and familiars at Oikawa's words.

"Can't your pet war god just kill them all, like last time?" Tsukishima snapped.

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi hissed under his breath. Tsukishima ignored him, his gaze fixed on Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

"Well?" the light mage prompted. Oikawa tutted disapprovingly, but didn't say anything. Instead, it was Iwaizumi who spoke.

"I can't rampage like that anymore," the war god said flatly. "First of all, I'm only a minor god, so even before I became a familiar, I couldn't do stuff like that often; it was really draining. But now that the familiar bond is in place, my power is limited. Even if I had decades of strength saved up, I wouldn't be able to release that kind of power unless the bond was severed." There was a moment of silence as everyone processed that. It was Kageyama who spoke next.

"So if Oikawa severed the bond, you could wipe out the enemy easily?"

"Yes," Iwaizumi agreed. "But that isn't an option." Daichi and several other mages nodded, not surprised at all, but Kageyama didn't let it go.

"Why not? Oikawa's never had a problem severing familiar bonds before."

"Kageyama!" Daichi snapped. Everyone stared at Kageyama in shock and something resembling horror. Bringing up a mage's past familiars was borderline taboo. Even a Guild like Windswept didn't appreciate anyone mentioning it if a mage had more than one familiar in the past. Oikawa's face went pale, his expression blank for several moments before he managed to get a smile back in place. He opened his mouth to speak, but Iwaizumi beat him to it.

"I said it's not an option," the war god said, resting one hand on Oikawa's shoulder. "And if you suggest otherwise again, we're going to have a serious problem." Hinata jumped to his feet, expression fierce as he prepared to defend his familiar.

"Enough!" Daichi shouted. "Kageyama, if you can't behave with Guildmaster Oikawa and Iwaizumi here, then you'll have to leave the room until the meeting is over. Hinata, sit down. Iwaizumi wasn't finished talking about our options." Hinata frowned at his Guildmaster, but sat down. Kageyama was scowling, but then, he was frequently scowling, so Daichi chose to take the expression as agreement. "Now, if you would like to continue, Iwaizumi...?"

"As I was saying, Aoba Josei doesn't want to be left to take on Windswept and Moonlit Shadows alone. So I suggest Karasuno, Nekoma, and any independent mages who want to be part of an alliance with us come to our Guild Hall."

"Our Guild Hall is really well fortified," Oikawa explained. "And if Moonlit Shadows attacks here and you're already gone, it might take them a while to figure out what's going on."

"I think it makes sense," Ennoshita said.

"Except that then we'll be one big target," Kuroo pointed out. "Will we have any mobility at all if we're all in Aoba Josei's fortress of a Guild Hall?"

"We have plenty of routes in and out, although only Guild members know them," Iwaizumi replied.

"I'm sure you and your sneaky mages will be able to move around and cause trouble no matter where you are," Oikawa added. Kuroo shrugged.

"True. I'll need to retrieve my people, though," he said.

"I'm sure the crows would be willing to help relay massages to them," Suga spoke up. "Especially if we include Ukai in an alliance."

"We're with Kuroo," Bokuto announced. Akaashi nodded quietly.

"Karasuno? Your thoughts?" Daichi said, scanning the mages and familiars of his Guild.

"I don't want to just abandon our Guild Hall," Hinata said. "But I'll go with what everyone decides." Kageyama growled, but nodded his agreement.

"We're with you, Daichi," Ennoshita said, speaking for the remainder of the Guild. "It's your choice."

"All right. We'll seal our Guild Hall and temporarily relocate to Aoba Josei's Hall," Daichi decided. Everyone then turned to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

"What will you two do?" Suga asked. "Will you join us?" Tsukishima looked like he was about to refuse, but then he glanced at Yamaguchi, who was watching him with those big, trusting eyes.

"We'll travel with everyone as far as the Aoba Josei Guild Hall," Tsukishima said. "But we're not getting involved in this war. We're just going because there's safety traveling in numbers."

"It's settled, then," Daichi said.

"Actually, there's one more thing," Kuroo countered. "As much as I enjoy long talks like this, when the next attack comes - and it will come, I think we're all convinced of that now - we're going to need one person to make fast decisions."

"I can-" Bokuto began.

"No!" all three Guildmasters and their familiars shouted.

"We need you on the front lines," Daichi explained quickly as Bokuto's expression edged toward a pout.

"Oikawa is used to leading mages into battle, right?" Kinoshita pointed out.

"And losing, unless Iwaizumi rampages," Tsukishima muttered under his breath.

"I have to stay mobile, coordinating my people to gather information," Kuroo said. "Oikawa has more experience leading from close up, so putting him in charge of a battle might makes sense."

"Daichi's better with people," pointed out Akaashi. "Oikawa likes to irritate people too much. He's also the one who's kept this meeting on track." Kuroo tilted his head thoughtfully, then nodded as though reaching a decision.

"Anyone object to putting the Karasuno Guildmaster in charge?" he asked.

"He doesn't know my Guild Hall well," Oikawa objected.

"Then how about this," Iwaizumi broke in, "We agree that each Guildmaster has their own specialty. Nekoma is obviously the Guild with the most information gathering skills, so when it comes to that, Guildmaster Kuroo makes decisions. During battles inside or around Aoba Josei's Guild Hall, Oikawa leads. And between battles or when we're away from the Guild Hall, Guildmaster Sawamura is in charge." Slowly, Bokuto and each of the Guildmasters nodded, although Daichi himself looked a little uncertain about this.

"Now everything's settled," Daichi said. "Kuroo?"

"Information and telling my people to meet us at Aoba Josei," Kuroo replied. "On it."

"Oikawa?"

"Iwa-chan and I will be going home and getting everything ready," Oikawa answered.

"All right. My people, let's get ready to move," Daichi ordered.


End file.
